Check ball guide for flush tanks



V A! I! 3 Y l. 7 R. H M M a 7 a m 1 a, m 0 New, m "w w k W. W m IF 2 5 4 N 0 M a 1 E a w y) i .D Q I] I q r i Q B M Y ll rlf 2 1 M 6 A. LIM'ONGELLI CHECK BALL GUIDE FOR FLUSH TANKS Filed June 27, 1950 July 24, 1951 Patented July 24, 1951 iUNITEED STATES DEF CHECK BALL GUIDE FOR FLUSHLTANKS Anthony liimongelli, Miami, Fla. Application Jun -27, issafseiiai N0. noses 3 (Claims.

.1 Z'This invention'irelatesto an "improvement'in lguide'means for the accurate seating of-the water discharge flush valve employed in theconventional toiletfiush tanks. 'It""is"an object of *theinventiomtoprovide a simple guide means thatmaybe 'eas'iiy-and'duicklydnstalled in the discharge"coupling'ofthe flush tank without altering the conventional ball, -coupling or associated "parts and assures that i the ball will accurately be guided to its "seat. 1

"Flush tank balls-frequently fallto their-seat andare cocked thereonfdue in somecases to the turbulence "of the water "and, some cases, the "exposed thread of the trip 'rod'will cause 'therc'd an'dits supported ball to remain elevated, due to the "threads" catching in the upper" rod. guide, in each-instance resultingin a "considerable waste-"of Water.

"The device of the"present invention "contemplatesan expansible guide carrying ring "that is installed in the dischargemipe below "the ball seat andaccurately'guides a rod that "is connected with the ball; whereby theball'afterbeing released by the usual trip lever, "falls withthe ievelof thevvater as it isdischargedand willnot 'be'shifted laterally by the turbulence of the water, "since the ball' willbe guided above "and Thelow by the rods operating in the upper andlower guides.

Afurther object of the inventionresidesinthe extreme simplicity of the structure and "itslow cost, coupled with the -easepf installation.

"Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent "during the course or the "following description, reference-being had "to" the accompanying drawings, wherein has been'illus- *trated a preferred example thereof "and wherein like characters of reference are mploye'd'to' denote like parts throughout. Inthe-drawings-- 1 "Figure 1 is "a-side'elevation ofa conventional flush tank coupling and associated ball'seat "and *ball, with the invention applied thereto, Figure 2 is a vertical section, taken on line 2 -2 "ofFigurel,

Figure 3 is a horizontal'section' takenpn"line *3--.sof-Figure 2 and,

Figure 4 is a perspective view oftheguidef pi'ior "to installation.

Referring specifically to the drawings,"thenumeral -5- designates a conventional coupling employed as the water discharge of toilet flush tanks. The couplingponsistsof 'arelatively large cylindrical member :6,.carryingvat;iit Lupp'eroendia Itapered ball seat I for the seatingl'reception ofaa water fiushball .8. ,The member-B-has an integral lateral extension 9, connected with averticallY-arranged overflow pipeHLas is customary. "flheext'ension- 9"is"provided"with"the usualtwater her Bias clearly shown in-Figures Zand 3. The member "6 is further provided with the usual gasket'flangell serving to compress a gasketl3 within 'the opening of'the flush tank, indicated fragmentarily at H. Thememberli is externally threaded for the reception of the usual clamping nut and for the threaded coupling of the'usual'discharge pipe, not'shown; Arranged upon" the inner wall of the membert, at diametrically opposite points, are inwardly projecting studs 3 15, cast integral with the member 6 and normally. serving to limit the inner 'extensionfiof the discharge pipe. L'Ilhe studs IE/are arranged below :the opening 10f z thelpassage i I, as %'shown. The overflow pipe l0 supports theusual guidefli, for the conventional trip rod 11. The ball 8:is substantially frusto-conical in shape and formed hollow, with itslower Wall provided-with a. relatively large-central opening. Thehead portion of the ball 8 hasmolded therein, a metalistud l8, axially bored and threaded forthe usualrreception of the threadedlower end of the trip rod l1. Thestructure sofar described i 'conventional andwellknown.

Thepresent inventionconsists of a guide member,- designated as a whole by the numeral l9, including a fiat sided ring 2!), split at one side, as at 2|. The ring .20. supports a centrally arranged tubularguidesleeve 22, through the medium of preferably integral webs 23. A shown, the guide sleeve is arranged below the ring ZD. Vertically positioned in the sleeve '22, is a cylindrical guide tube 24, extending above and below thesleeve 22 and maintained against downward displacementby a collar"25. The diameter of the sleeve '22 is'som'ewhat largerthan the diameter of the tube 24, permitting freedom of movement er the tube in its guiding action. Slidable through the tube 24, is a pilot'rod2fi,"the'upper endof "which is threaded at 21 for engagement with the threads ofthe stud IS. "The diameterof the rod 26 i -relatively smaller'tha'n the inner diameter "of the tube, providing freedom of-slidingmovemenia -and lateral motionwithin limits=to properl direct the ball 8 to-itsseat.

In the assembly of the structure, it being assumed that the conventional coupling '5 has al- "ready been-placed in the' -tank-M, the operator \removes the ball *8,-by 'first unscrewing the trip rod Fl. The'ring'zfl 'ofthe guide liljis then compressed and inserted into'the' bore of the member fi toapoint where it-rests upon the lugs i5. Upon release, the ring 20*Will expanclan'd "flrrrily grip guide l9 offers no obstruction to the insertion of the discharge pipe within the member 1 B. After the *guide is in position, "the tube M isnext'en- *gaged within the sleeve 22,-restinguponitseoll'a'r '425. A nut28 "isthen'screwe'd upon'the threaded passe-sen]; opening into 'the bore of them'emto rend-of the tripro'cl-as farasit will go andtheti'ip rod is then again screwed into stud [8. However,

prior to attaching the trip rod, the pilot rod 26 is then engaged within the threads of the stud l8:i

to a point of contact with the inner end of the,

rod 26. The entire check and guidedevice'is'no'w ready for operation.

When the ball is raised by the trip rod ll, there I will be no tendency for the ball to shift sidewise under the turbulent action of the water, since the ball is maintained in a vertical course of travel, being guided at the upper end by the trip rod and gatithe lower end by the pilot rod 28. The nut 28 serves to completely coverv any exposed threads ,upon the rod ll to insure that therod and the ball will not be accidently caught by f the threads/upon possible rough edges of the upper guide It, as sometimes occurs in the conventional flush devices. The limited play of the tube 24 within the sleeve 22 and the limited play of the pilot rod 26 inthe tube 24, is forpurposes of coupling member 6 that might tend to prevent accurate seating of the ring 20. However, the limited play in the parts is such as to insure that .the, ball will beaccurately guided to a full and ,even seat. The rod 26 is of such a length that it. .will have full guiding action in the tube 24 at all elevations of the ball. It might befound desirable in practice to eliminate the tube 24 and extend the guide sleeve 22 in length. However, the use of the tube 2ft presents an elongated guide for .the rod 26, regardless of the slight irregular seating. of the ring 26 and its freedom of movement within the sleeve 22 avoids any possible tendency overcoming any possible irregularity within the sorted to as fall within either the spirit or the scope of the subjoined claims. I

j Having described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: 1. In combination with a water discharge coupling and ball valve for toilet flush tanks thatis provided with a ballvalve seat and a resilient frusto-conical ball valve open upon its bottom and having an axially threaded stud molded in its top centrally and axially thereof, a trip rod for the valve that is vertically arranged and having its lower end threaded partially into the stud,

guide means for the vertical shifting movement threaded into the stud from the bottom of the valve to abut the end of the trip rod and arcoupling, the pilot rod moving in a vertical plane under the influence of the valve movement, guide .means for the pilot rod throughout its vertical movement, that consists of a flexible split ring e5 4 of the trip rod for control of the valve, apilot rod ,adapted to be frictionally positioned withm the 75 I,

movement of a resilient ball valve as employed in toilet flush tanks and that is adapted to seat upon-a valve seat formed upon a cylindrical cou- ,Pli g' embodied in the tank discharge, the valve provided with an axially threaded stud molded therein with a trip rod threaded into the upper end of the stud and a pilot rod threaded into the lower end of the'stud with the rods'in vertical axial alignment, the pilot rod projecting downwardlythroughand centrally of the cylindrical coupling, guide means for the pilot rod that con si sts-of a relatively wide split ring that is expansible and adapted to be positioned in fixed frictional spanning relation to the coupling,'the coupling provided with cast lugs that limit the down ward positioning of the ring, webbing formed 'uponthe ring that extends inwardly and down:- wardly, the inner ends of the webbing supporting ajcyli'ndrical sleeve axially of the valve and the rods, an elongated guide tube loosely vertically supported within the sleeve and extending above and below the sleeve, a collar formed on the tube tolimit its downward movement in the sleeve, the

pilot rod loosely slidably engaging through thev tube, the tube forming a guide for the pilot rod throughout its vertical movement. a

'3'. A guide device that is removably fixed withl' t he bore of a flush tank discharge coupling to control the seating action of a resilient ball valve upon" a valve seat formed on the coupling, the

valve'provided with atrip rod to lift theflsani'e ,fromthe seat and a pilot rod to guide the'valv'e ,to its seat, the rods. extending above and below the valve, respectively, with the pilot rod ex? tending downwardly centrally of the coupung, guide means for the pilot rod that consists'of relatively wide flexiblering split at one side t'o be ,compressed and installed within the couplinglwith the sides of the ring frictionally engagingthe ,bjojreof the coupling, the coupling provided with i 'nwardly directed lugs that limit the downward positioning of the ring, oppositely arranged and inwardly and downwardly directed flat web secsans carried by the ring, the webs terminating in a cylindrical sleeve belowthe ring, with the sleeve arranged axially of the rods, an elongated tube {ldos'el'ysupported within the sleeve to project above and below the ring, a collar formed'upoh thetube intermediate its length for resting en'- gag'ement upon the upper end of the sleeve, the pilot rod loosely and shiftably guided in the'tub'e throughout its travel under the influence of the ,riseand fall of the valve, the fixed position of the ring being below the valve seat and below an overflow inlet to the coupling,

1 ANTHONY LIMONGELLI.

H "REFERENCES CITED a-The following references are of record inthe rfile of this patent: :xi

-oNrrnn s'rA'rEs PATENTS; Numberff Name Date} 1',69 9,'890 Hill Jan.'2 2,'1'929 

